Look for native varieties, such as the dahlia, for your wedding flowers. Photograph: Kendra Wilson

Brides of Britain, you have the power to change the floral market. Cut flowers represent a significant environmental problem. Nearly 80% are imported from the Netherlands, Colombia and Kenya, and the impact on water resources, the carbon footprint associated with air freighting flowers and the dependency of local communities on this monoculture are well known.

As consumers do not eat them, authorities are not interested in checking for pesticides, which ignores the impact on growers, workers and ecosystems: in Colombia 12 different pesticides are used, while Ethiopian producers have been found to be use toxic pesticides banned in industrialised nations.

If you need to buy imported flowers, look for Fairtrade. Analysis from Oserian farms in Kenya suggests they carry a lower footprint than those from other countries, as well as benefits for the local community. The UK spends £2.2bn on cut flowers every year, but just 10% are grown here compared to 20 years ago, when half of flowers sold here were from the UK. Flowersfromthefarm.co.uk is a co-operative for small-scale growers and its directory is a good place to start. However, as importers point out, sustaining current levels and types of consumption through UK growing would require huge glasshouses and stratospheric heating consumption.

It's our habits that need to change. Instead of easy imports, look for native varieties such as violets, asters, scabious, dahlias and sunflowers (good for late-summer weddings). Happily, some of the most beautiful British flowers don't travel well and so are not grown in overseas monocultures: sweet peas and ranunculus, for example. June and July offer more native varieties than August, so moving your big day to accommodate flowers may be what's needed to make this floral revolution happen.

You'll need an eco florist such as flowersbyjulieb.co.uk, which works with local growers and eco certifications. Eco florists also avoid floral foam – a non-biodegradable, petroleum byproduct commonly used for arrangements. You could also get family and friends to grow for you. Greenandgorgeousflowers.co.uk specialises in DIY courses for the eco-aware bride. In your bridal year your flower spend will sprout from an average £28 to between £300 and £500, so make sure you use it well.